Collapsible stand



c. N. cRQss L 2,936,236

Dec. 8, W59

COLLAPSIBLE STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 7, 1957 ea Invmfls: (134:4033 IV: Cfloss, qyzizi D.Ha yfiow,

EEZEGESG C. N. CROSS ET AL COLLAPSIBLE STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov.7, 1957 122092120245.- CczflfloZZlVI wuss, (1492112 D.Huyi20w,

a Mr COLLAPSIBLE STAND Carroll N. Cross, Maitland, Fla., and Cyril D.Hayhow, Taunton, Mass; said Hayhow assignor to Ad-A-Day Company, Inc.,Tannton, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 7,1957, Serial No. 694,991

Claims. (Cl. 248-35) This invention relates to a collapsible stand whichmay constitute or be organized as part of a display device, which standembodies in its construction a diptych, that is, two panels or leaveshingedly connected, which panels may be disposed at an angle to stand inthe manner of a gable roof on a supporting surface with bearingsparallel to the hinge line. One or both of the panels may bear displaymatter such as a calendar pad or a picture, or have secured thereto apicture or card to be displayed for which the diptych structure thenacts in the manner of a stand. The structure may be closed for shipmentor storage into a substantially two-dimensional form of large area butsmall thickness.

Means are provided for supporting the two panels in a relatively angularposition from which they will not accidentally be released and which,preferably, does not require manipulation when shifting from one of thepositions to the other, other than the mere change of the angularrelationship of the two panels.

One of the panels may be considered a display panel either havingdecorative pictures or letterpress display directly printed thereon ormounting a separate calendar pad, picture or the like, and the otherpanel a leg for supporting the first and foldably associated therewith,a brace being provided carried by one of the panels and adjustablyassociated with the other to maintain the two in angular position.

In the drawings we have illustrated the invention as applied to a deskcalendar and for convenience in the following description will speak ofit in specific language applicable to the disclosure. In particular itmay be noted that the comparison to a gable roof is particularly closein the case of the illustrated embodiment, since the two panels are ofsubstantially like area and terminate at the hinge joint correspondingto the ridgepole of the roof. However, this reference to a gable roofshould not be taken to imply either equality in area of the two partswhich are hinged, or that both terminate at the hinge line. Inparticular when the diptych may be considered primarily as a stand forsupporting a different article, clearly the article supported couldstand much higher than the support or be much wider.

in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a desk calendar as it would stand on thetop of a desk in use;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of the two panels opened outinto a plane with parts successively broken away;

Fig. 3 is a central section illustrating the position which the partswould take in the penultimate operation of preparing them for deliveryto the user;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a later stage;

Fig. 5 shows the operation of Figs. 3 and 4 completed, with the twopanels folded into face to face engagement, for storage or shipment;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the panels opened out to the positionwhich they occupy in Fig. 1;

States Patent EQQ Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of the end portion of amodified form of brace; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view in perspective showing a modified form forthe interior board of one of the panels.

The desk calendar shown as an example of the invention is constructed,as such articles frequently are, from boards and flexible sheetmaterial. By board is meant material of some thickness and stiffness,such as cardboard and binders board, as contrasted with paper, cloth,and similar more or less limp and thin materials which are termed sheetmaterials.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is there shown a desk calendar embodying afront panel P and a rear panel R as they would stand on the desk top inthe manner of a gable roof, a brace B (Fig. 6) being carried by onepanel, as F, and associated with the other to maintain them in thatposition, the two panels being hingedly connected along the apex of theangle (the ridgepole of the roof). The two panels may be folded aboutthe hinge in face to face relation as seen in Fig. 5, and opened outagain to the position of Figs. 1 and 6 and, so far as the user isconcerned, it is simply a matter of closing or opening the two parts asone would the covers of a book.

Referring now to Fig. 2 the two panels are each made of a number ofsuperposed boards, herein rectangles of equal size. In practice thesuperposed boards may be formed as sections of a single piece ofmaterial which is weakened along spaced lines to permit their foldingtogether in face to face relation, as this facilitates handling,particularly in the covering operation which will be described, but wehave not thought it necessary to illustrate this as in the completedarticle the boards are functionally'separate elements. Herein the panelsare placed adjacent one another with two edges in spaced opposition asshown in Fig. 2 and a covering of flexible material 1% is applied to theexterior faces thereof, the faces away from the reader in Fig. 2, andfolded in over the sides, the flexible material spanning the spacebetween the spaced edges and forming a flexible hinge 12 at theridgepole. The use of such covering, besides providing an attractiveexterior for the article, is a preferred way of securing the severalboards of each panel in face to face relation, while leaving the portionof their area within the edges disconnected, so that there is anunobstructed or open, interfacial space between them, this being ofparticular importance in the case of the rear panel R, as will appear.

The panel F is herein formed of three superposed boards, although thisis incident to the particular arrangement shown for mounting thecalendar pad C. There is an exterior board 14 having a sight opening 16cut through the same and through the covering to disclose the calendarpad C which is received in a suitably sized opening or well in anintermediate or well board 18. The calendar pad may be inserted from thefront through the window opening and behind filleted corner portions 20of the front board. The interior board 22 overlies the well opening andcarries the brace B which is herein cut therethrough by a circuitousline having spaced under portions terminating at the ends of a line 23,weakened by scoring or partial severance to form a hinge. The brace B asshown has a relatively narrow proximal portion adjacent the hinge,although this is not necessary. The distal portion is provided with twotransversely aligned but spaced scored lines (hinge lines) 24 defining across-head 26, which may be turned (Fig. 3) at an angle to the proximalportion of the brace. The crosshead in the example shown includes also acentrally located, proximally directed extension 28 which is cut fromthe body of the brace along a broken line intersecting the ends of thelines 24. The main portion of the crosshead is thus on one side of itshinge lines 24 and extension 28 on the opposite side. The hinge lines 24are curved or angularly related, as shown, toward the proximal end ofthe brace for a purpose which will appear.

The panel R herein embodies an exterior board 30 and an interior board32, and through the latter is cut a transverse slot 34 opening into theinterfacial space between the two boards and providing for the receptionof the end of the brace which slides therein in the manner to bedescribed, the brace in this instance extending to the side of the slotnearer the ridgepole and being entirely received within the peripheriesof the two boards 30 and 32 or the projections thereof, as will appear.

The calendar is made in the form shown in Fig. 2 and the finalmanipulation by the manufacturer consists in engaging the brace B withthe rear panel R. The particular arrangement of the cross-headfacilitates this. Referring to Fig. 4 the two panels are moved towardeach other with a folding motion and the brace is bent outwardly fromthe plane of the interior board 22 along its hinge line 23. The portion28 of the cross-head provides a convenient finger hold by which thecrosshead, including this part and the part 26, may be moved intraversing position to the body of the brace, as seen in Fig. 3. Thisfacilitates introducing a cross-head part 26 through the slot 34 intothe interfacial space between the two boards 30 and 32 as shown in Fig.4. The closing movement of the two panels is then continued until theycome to the position shown in Fig. 5 where they are superposed on oneanother. This is the position of storage and shipment and the way theparts are positioned when the article is delivered to the user. To setup the diptych in the position of Figs. 1 and 6 the user simply opensthe two leaves as he would a book and draws them apart. Such actionhowever does not pull the brace B out from the slot 34. As thecross-head 26 moves downwardly toward the slot it, and in particular itsextension 28, is normally held in the plane of the inter facial space,although the body of the brace is being pulled out at an angle thereto.The extension 28 therefore engages behind the wall of the lower marginof the slot as seen in Fig. 6 and the motion ceases and the parts cannotbe opened out beyond that position unless they are literall torn apartwith breakage of the pieces.

In practice the diptych may be opened and reclosed as often as desired.The motion of the boards to the two extreme positions (Figs. 5 and 6)occurs with a snap action, both palpably felt and audibly observed, andthere is no likelihood of the user using destructive force. At the sametime the parts are securely held in the set up position of Pig. 1,wherein the brace acts primarily as a tie, being under tension, butalso, because the head comprising the parts 26 and 28 stands at an angleto the body of the board 22 as a strut under compression as againstminor forces which might cause collapse of the structure to the positionof Fig. 6, although the resistance in this way provided is not such asto prevent voluntary closing of the parts by suitable manual pressure.

In the withdrawal of the brace from the position of Fig. 5 toward theposition of Fig. 6, the pull of the :brace is at an angle to the head 26and tends to open up or distend the interfacial space between the boards.30 and 32,. Because of the nonlinear relation of the hinge line at 24-the pressure exerted on the part 28 near the center of the broken orcurved line is greater than at the ends of the cross-head andconsequently the tendency is to push the extension of 2?; firmly againstthe exterior board 30 and this insures the extension 28 passing thelower margin of the slot 33 and entering the interfacial space in thearea beneath the same.

In Fig. 8 we have illustrated a modified construction for the rear panelhaving an exterior board 3th: and an interior board 32:: which isrecessed inwardly from one edge, the lower margin 54a of this recessconstituting the lower margin of a slot corresponding .to 34. Ashortauxiliary board 36, which herein is a folded over extension of board32a, has an edge 38 which opposes edge 34a and defines a slot as will beapparent which corresponds to 34 in Fig. 2. What this amounts to is thatthe portion of the interior board above the slot is offset forwardlyrelative to the portion below the slot providing a deeper interfacialspace in that area to facilitate the introduction of the cross-head 26therein and to promote the entrance of the portion 28 of the head intothe space below the margin 34a when the parts are opened. Such anarrangement is hardly necessary, particularly when the curved hinge line24 for the crosshead is provided.

Fig. 7 shows an alternative form for the end of the brace. Thecross-head 26b is hinged on line 24a to the end of brace Bb which atthis point is of narrow width. Extension 28b extends past the hinge lineat either side of this end portion of the brace. The functions of theparts are like those of the similarly numbered parts in Figs. 2 through6. The form shown in those figures is recommended.

We are aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, andwe therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in allrespects as illustrative and not restrictive, as is in fact clear inseveral matters from the description itself. Reference is to be had tothe appended claims to indicate those principles of the inventionexemplified by the particular embodiment described and which we desireto secure by Letters Patent.

We claim:

1. A collapsible stand comprising two hinged panels adapted to beerected to stand with the panels angularly disposed in the manner of agable roof, one panel comprising a brace hinged thereto on an axisparallel to the hinge line of the panels, which brace comprises a bodyportion and a cross-head distally hinged thereto on a transverselyextending hinge axis and having portions extending to both sides of thehinge line, the other panel comprising an interior board having a slotof a length greater than the width of the head and a width less than thedepth of the head and a board exterior thereto de fining therewith anopen interfacial space to which the slot opens, into which space the endof the brace may enter and in which it may slide when introduced throughthe slot, said portions of the cross-head spanning the width of the slotand engaging behind the opposite margins of the slot on retrogrademovement of the brace tending to withdraw it from said space.

2. A stand as set forth in claim 1 wherein the panels close into afolded position wherein they are superposed internal face to internalface and with the brace housed in said space.

3. A stand as set forth in claim 1 wherein the head is hinged to thestem along a line deviating from a straight line whereby on partialwithdrawal of the brace from the interfacial space incident to settingup the stand the proximally extending part of the cross-head is stressedtoward the exterior and away from the opposed margin of the slot.

4. A stand as set forth in claim 1 wherein the interior board comprisestwo relatively offset portions defining the margins of the slot, thatmargin past which the proximally extending portion of the head passes inretrograde movement lying in a plane interior to that of the other.

5. A collapsible stand comprising two hinged panels adapted to beerected .to stand with the panels angularly disposed in the manner of agable roof, one panel comprising an interiorly facing board having ascored line therein providing a hinge parallel to the hinge line andhaving a three-sided cut intersecting the line to provide a hinged'brace,.the.distal portion ofthe brace having two scored linestransversely thereof, which lines are spaced but substantially alignedto define the hinge line of a distal crosshead portion, the body of thebrace being severed along a broken line extending from the adjacent endsof said two lines to provide a proximally extending cross-head portionintegral with the first, the other panel comprising an interior boardhaving a length greater than the width of the head and a slot of a widthless than the depth of the head and a board exterior thereto definingtherewith an open interfacial space to which the slot opens, into whichspace the end of the brace may enter and in which it may slide whenintroduced through the slot, said portions of the cross-head spanningthe slot and engaging behind the opposite margins of the slot onretrograde movement of the brace, tending to withdraw it from saidspace.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSFOREIGN PATENTS Sweden Dec. 6, 1916 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,916,236 December 8, 1959 CarrollN. Cross et a1,

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificatiorof the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the saidLetters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 5, line 6, strike out "a slot of" and insert the same after"having" in line 5 same columno Signed and sealed this 21st day of June1960,,

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H, AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

